Okay, you know the script by now: Merry Hell are brilliant.
Now we’ve got that out the way this is just to confirm that they have a new single out and as ever it’s Merry Hell personified. The melody, the hooks, the fiddles, the belting drums, socially and politically-aware lyrics, and most of all the pure joy of the Merry Hell folk.
Titled Leave it in the Ground it is the first of three digital singles in their The Hourglass Trilogy series.
The song is written by fiddle player, Neil McCartney who comes from a family with mining connections and growing up in an area with a long but declining mining tradition, he is well aware of both the human and environmental impacts of extracting fossil fuels.
His song looks at the use of cleaner and safer energy as both a way forward and a means of honouring the sacrifices of the past.
The single is available to download and stream from all the usual places and will be followed up by:
SISTER ATLAS: RELEASED 8th JUNE
EMERGENCY LULLABY (WASTING TIME): RELEASED 29th JUNE
Completing THE HOURGLASS TRILOGY
Get it on repeat and get dancing!
Meanwhile here is much more on the trilogy from the band themselves.
When Merry Hell started thinking about a new album and the writers brought their fresh ideas to the band, it was a surprise that 3 of us, Virginia Kettle, Bob Kettle and Neil McCartney had each written songs that gave voice to concerns about our environmental impact and the climate emergency. Each has a different voice but all have that positive, joyful Merry Hell feel.
As is true of our previous releases, we are neither strident nor condemnatory. We do not preach, we seek to ask questions of ourselves and encourage others to do the same.
The series will also serve as a taster for our next album Emergency Lullabies, currently approaching completion.
The new songs are strong and the messages are united. Let us look at our own behaviours and how we can make positive changes for the benefit of all, whilst we hold up the mirror of truth to those who place profits and gain above the common good.
We have decided to release the songs as The Hourglass Trilogy, reflecting the widely held belief that the time for action is now, hopefully before it is too late.
There will also be a video accompanying each of the singles.
The tracks and videos will be released individually, 3 weeks apart, as downloads or to stream because we felt that pressing a CD of only 3 songs would be counter to the ideas represented by this project.
We are not eco warriors, we are not perfect, most of us have cars and we are all still learning how to be more thoughtful about our behaviour. However, whilst we recognise both our own actions and shortcomings, we applaud and salute those individuals and groups who, by their actions and
words, inspire us to individual and collective action. Their bravery in the face of political and indeed physical threat on an industrial scale is an example to us all. We all know who they are, let us support them the best we can.
Finally, we applaud our own children, who are, in many
cases, far more aware, active and engaged than we are and should have been.
Enjoy the music. Listen to the words, make up your own minds and let us all take the actions we believe to be right.
